Hokies signing day: Quarterbacks

Hokies Journal is taking a position-by-position look of Virginia Tech's incoming class on national signing day. Virginia Tech had seemed to shore up its class early, so all prospects listed were among the recruits expected to sign Wednesday with the Hokies. Follow @HokiesJournal on Twitter for any changes or unexpected signings.

With Tyrod Taylor departing after the 2010 season, Virginia Tech is looking for depth at quarterback position. The Hokies added two prospects in this year’s recruiting class.

The Hokies have promising talent in Logan Thomas, who will be a redshirt freshman during the 2010 season and appears to be the quarterback of the future. Thomas was one of the top tight ends in the country in high school, but he has shown a strong arm and a deft passing touch in the preseason and during fall practices.

At 6 feet 6, Thomas does not fit the mold of the smaller, more mobile Taylor. How will that affect Virginia Tech’s offensive philosophy in the coming years? Both of the Hokies’ incoming quarterbacks, both of whom seem likely to redshirt, are considered mobile threats.

Ricardo Young was one of the nation’s top-rated dual-threat quarterbacks. A product of of H.D. Woodson High School, Young has already enrolled in 2010 spring classes. Young, named first-team All-Met by The Washington Post after his senior year, can run 40 yards in 4.52 seconds and combined to throw for more than 5,000 yards in his junior and senior seasons.

Greg Fuller, the Warriors’ coach, has said Young is a cerebral player, so much so that he has allowed Young to call his own plays at times. Fuller has also said that that has gotten Young into trouble at times during games, and Young is listed at a skimpy 150 pounds. Away from the field, Young maintained a 3.52 grade-point average in the classroom and has volunteered as a tutor for local elementary school students.

The Hokies’ other newcomer at quarterback, Mark Leal, is also considered an able runner. Leal, who runs a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash, committed in the spring of his junior year after completing 108 of 218 passes for 1,785 yards and 17 touchdowns. As a senior, he grew into a more efficient passer, saying he leaned when not to force throws.

A 6-1 athlete from Delray Beach, Fla., Leal attended the same high school, Atlantic, as current Hokies cornerback Jayron Hosley and former standout cornerback Brandon Flowers. “There is a really good chance I can start right away and I’ve already built relationships with my future coaches and teammates,” Leal told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel when asked about his commitment. “I’m really happy with my decision.”

Virginia Tech missed out on perhaps the state's biggest prospect, quarterback Phillip Sims of Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, Va., the alma mater of former Hokie tight end Greg Boone. Sims, a pro-style passer with a strong arm and a big body, is set to go to Alabama. Although he had an offer from Virginia Tech, the Hokies never really seemed in contention for Sims, who represents a big in-state miss in this year's recruiting class.

Here are some highlights of Ricardo Young at H.D. Woodson High School in 2009.